Jimmy Carr just dropped a “radical” idea — and it’s got people seriously talking. What started as an unexpected comment quickly turned into a bold proposal, as Carr suggested the UK could use idle power stations to mine Bitcoin. The pitch? Turn unused energy into profit and potentially revive struggling miners — a concept that sounds simple on the surface but instantly sparked debate.

Key Takeaways

• Jimmy Carr believes Britain should experiment with using unused power station capacity to mine Bitcoin.

• The comedian questioned why the U.K. lacks a sovereign wealth fund.

• The idea emerges as bitcoin miners face falling profitability.

British comedian Jimmy Carr has suggested that the U.K. government should consider using idle power stations to mine Bitcoin, pitching the idea as a radical rethink of public finances as digital assets move further into the mainstream.

Speaking on the Triggernometry podcast on the day of the U.K. budget, Carr argued that governments should be more willing to experiment with unconventional revenue sources rather than relying almost exclusively on taxation.

Jimmy Carr’s Radical Bitcoin Mining Experiment

Carr said Britain should be open to the idea of state-backed Bitcoin mining, particularly during periods when electricity generation capacity goes unused.

“Our power stations just don’t do anything at night,” Carr said, adding that surplus energy could instead be used to mine Bitcoin or host data centres.

“We’re going to mine for Bitcoins. Great. New gold standard, fine.”

He framed the proposal as an example of the kind of financial experimentation he believes governments should pursue.

If it works, he said, the country benefits; if it fails, at least it tried something new.

Carr’s remarks come as Bitcoin has moved closer to the financial mainstream, with growing institutional adoption and increased debate over its role in national economies and energy markets.

Public Ownership of Resources

Beyond Bitcoin, Carr questioned why the U.K. lacks a sovereign wealth fund similar to those operated by countries such as Norway.

“Why don’t we have a sovereign wealth fund?” he asked, arguing that certain national assets should belong collectively to the public rather than generating revenue solely for the Crown.

Carr stressed that he does not consider himself a socialist and said he is not advocating for broad state capitalism.

Instead, he described selective public ownership of strategic assets as pragmatic.

“…We sort of don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but you’re pretty sure power is going to be important. We’re pretty sure we’re going to need it,” he said.

He added: “And anything we don’t need, we can mine for Bitcoin or set up a data centre here, whatever we’re going to do.”

Carr also reiterated his view that Britain should invest heavily in long-term infrastructure, particularly energy generation, including nuclear power.

Such investments, he suggested, could be funded through government bonds, allowing citizens to directly invest in the country’s future.